At the X presented by The Faceoff Academy

By: Paul Ryan, March 18, 2016

At the X presented by The Faceoff Academy

Face off men play a
huge role in lacrosse. They are the ones that start a possession and can literally make or break a game all by themselves. That’s why we’re introducing “At the ‘X’, presented by The Faceoff Academy” a weekly feature recapping the best face off men in the league. Every Monday we’ll update the rankings, showcasing the top three FOGO’s over the course of the season.

1. Eric OBrien – Ohio Machine (9-for-14)

The Machine were dead last in MLL last season with a .389 winning percentage at the x. Their standings changed very quickly in 2014, as they currently lead Major League Lacrosse in face off winning percentage at .630 after Week 1. Eric OBrien is a big reason for that, winning nine of his 14 face offs over the course of the game.

2. Matt Dolente – Ohio Machine (8-for-13)

Coming in second in Week 1 is Machine FOGO Matt Dolente, so you could say that Ohio’s weakness looks like a strength in the early going. Dolente was acquired by the Machine in a trade that sent Kyle Hartzell to New York and helped take some of the load off of OBrien. Having two capable face off men for Dolente could really help Ohio become a Machine at the x.

3. Stephen Peyser – Chesapeake Bayhawks (3-for-5)

Peyser sneaks on here for the first week despite taking 57 face offs coming into this season. Coach Cottle wanted to change the momentum of the game against the Cannons and in doing so put his middie at the x and had him take five draws. Peyser won three of them, translating to a 60% winning percentage. However, Peyser will probably get phased out throughout the season, as he isn’t truly a FOGO.

Here are the best of the rest, the top 10 guys this season to take face offs in their opening games.